Blog Archives

Kidorable Review & Giveaway!

8/31/2015

I have a very good rainy day giveaway for you today! True to it's name, Kidorable makes the most ADORABLE children's items I have ever seen! Seriously! Kidorable takes normal, every day items like rain boots and umbrellas, and turns them into exciting, imagination-inspiring objects that help your child to grow and learn, all while living day-to-day.

From rubber boots, to rain coats, to backpacks, hats, gloves and scarves, Kidorable has got something for every little boy and girl out there. You will love how your little one looks, your little one will love how they look and feel, all while being functional and ready for whatever challenge the day holds for them!

We have loved Kidorable products since Boston was just learning to walk. We got him the dinosaur "my first rainboots" when he was 2 and he loved them. My second little guy got to use them too, and now they will be passed down to my third boy. They have held up almost perfectly through 2 boys and lots of puddles. Now Bost is 5 and he loves his Dragon Knight rainboots! These boots are perfect for kids who love to jump in puddles- my boys have never complained of wet or cold feet and they have even helped me shovel snow in them. However I don't recommend it!

With all of the crazy weather patterns we have here in Iowa, I recommend you go check out the Kidorable website and pick up a few items for the Fall! Such an investment and like I said, everything I have purchased from Kidorable has held up perfectly through 2 boys so far!

Kidorable is giving away an adorable Umbrella to one of our lucky members, their choice! Check out all of the cute styles and enter in the comments below!

To enter the giveaway: Tell us which umbrella you would pick if you won! For an additional entry, follow Kidorable on facebook, and for another entry, follow them on Instagram! Comment below for your chance to win! Winner will be picked Tuesday, September 8th!

29 Comments

Bug Soother Giveaway

8/21/2015

0 Comments

Hey Everyone! Long time no blog! I'm finally back from my vacation and I have an awesome giveaway for you today just in time for the weather to get nice and the bugs to come out to play.

My family loves to spend lots of time outside. What we don't love is all of the nasty gnats and bugs that come to play with us. I'm also not a huge fan of the nasty smell of bug spray with deet in it. This is why I love Bug Soother so much.

Bug Soother is a locally made product, so basically it is made to protect you from Iowa bugs. It is made with products that I can read and pronounce which is also a plus. And because it is made with natural ingredients, it smells really good!

Bug Soother is currently running a campaign and asking its users how you use Bug Soother. It is called #wearebugsoother. They are hoping to use pictures of actual Bug Soother customers to show people how great Bug Soother is. So here is how you can enter to win 2 bottles of Bug Soother (an 8oz bottle and a 4oz bottle). Post a picture on Facebook, Instagram, or you can email it to us at iowamedicalpartners@gmail.com, with you holding a sign with the hashtag #WeAreBugSoother. If you post your picture to social media make sure you tag us in the picture (iowamedicalpartners on Instagram or Iowa Medical Partners on Facebook) and leave a comment letting us know to look for it. I will be sending the pictures on to Bug Soother for them to use in their campaign. We will have 2 winners! Winners will be chosen next Friday (8/28).

For anyone who has not used Bug Soother yet (what are you waiting for?!?) we will have bottles at the Welcome Picnic next Saturday that you can sample. Thank you Bug Soother for helping us keep our outdoor activities bug free!

0 Comments

What's Up Doc: August

8/13/2015

0 Comments

What’s Up Doc: August

10 – Playgroup at Marion Splash Pad

12 – SOS at Caribou Coffee at 7:00

18 – Playgroup at the UIHC Playground – Residents are welcome

20 – Book Club at Becky Anderson’s House – Book Exchange

24 – Children’s Activity at Kent Park Beach at 10:00

24 – Playgroup at the Coralville Aquatics Center

29 – Welcome Picnic at Willow Creek Park at 4:30

The Welcome Picnic is for Iowa Medical Partners members and their families! We will have a face painter for the kids and lots of yummy food for everyone!

0 Comments

Del Mex giveaway winners!

8/8/2015

0 Comments

The winner from the Instagram entries was....Emily Dowdle! Congrats! And the winner of the blog entries goes to...

0 Comments

Meet the IMP Officers

8/7/2015

1 Comment

Rachel Miller, Playgroup

I am from Provo, Utah (South of Salt Lake City) and my husband Scott is from Meridian, Idaho (just outside of Boise). Scott finished medical school at Des Moines University in 2014 and matched here for his Anesthesia residency. We have been married for close to eight years, and I stay home with our two boys, Cannon (almost three) and Andrew (joined us last April). I am all about fun activities with the kids and I love it even more when things are free or low-cost! I joined IMP for a few reasons: to make friends, to get to know the area, and to have fun activities for my kids. Mission accomplished! Life wouldn't be as sweet here without Medical Partners, that is for sure!

Whitney Lenci, Philanthropy

Hello! I am Whitney Lenci and I am married to my high school sweetheart, Luke. We grew up in beautiful Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. We have landed in Iowa for ophthalmology training. You can usually find us hanging outside with family or friends, spending time on the water, traveling the world or eating delicious food. I stay busy with tons of craft projects, new recipes and learning Italian. You can always find us both adoring our sweet girl Miliana, who will be ONE in September! She brings us so much joy! IMP is a fun place to meet people, let's grab coffee!

Marta, Entertainment Club

Tori, Children's Activites

My name is Victoria Goetz but most of my friends call me Tori. I am a stay-at-home mom to 2 handsome little men. Graysen is almost 3 years old and Beckham is 2 months old. My husband Dustin and I are both from North Dakota where he also attended medical school And I received my Bachelors of Science in Nursing and worked as a nurse until we moved to Iowa. Dustin is an anesthesia resident and in his 2nd year. I love the Midwest feel of Iowa cause it reminds me of back home but it is also bigger here so there is always something to do! The ladies that I have met and become friends with the last year through IMP have all been so amazing and helpful with keeping me sane during the time of planning a wedding from out of state, having a baby, entertaining a toddler, and having a crazy busy husband! I have a love for being outdoors, music, shopping, wine, caffeine, and being a mom to my two boys!

1 Comment

Meet the IMP Officers

8/7/2015

0 Comments

Kathleen Linz, Children's Activities

Hello! My name is Kathleen Linz and I am a Children's Activities officer for Iowa Medical Partners. I joined IMP the week after moving to Iowa in 2013 after my neighbor invited me an S.O.S event ! My husband, Luke, is a 3rd year Anesthesia Resident. We are both originally from Cincinnati, Ohio and met there in 2005. We married in 2009, and moved to Michigan for Medical School at Michigan State University. Our 4th child is due next week and will join Miles who is 5, Audrey who is 3, and Leo who is 20 months. North Liberty has been a great home for us the past few years and we feel very lucky to be spending Residency here. If I find some spare time I enjoy scrapbooking ! I hope you enjoy Iowa Medical Partners as much as I do !

Jess Hicks, SOS

I am married to Michael, a 3rd year Anesthesia resident. We met and married in North Carolina. Michael attended medical school at VCOM. We have two beautiful children, with a third on the way in September. I am an Ohio State Buckeye fanatic, I even have a dog named Buckeye. I love reading books, watching movies, and hanging out with people. I am not very crafty, but I wouldn't mind learning how to do certain things! Iset up the SOS activities for Medical Partners and love picking out fun places to try out. Come and join us!

Emily Heredia, Book Club

Indiana is my home: I went to high school in a small town (Logansport) then moved to the “big city” of Indianapolis to attend college and eventually work at Eli Lilly (pharma) as a health outcomes research scientist. Gerardo and I met during his second year of residency in OB-GYN through a coworker and mutual friend. Gerardo is now in the third and final year of fellowship (Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery) at the U of I. We have a daughter (born March 2014) and are hoping to add another kiddo on soon. Between being marooned in Iowa City and working from home, I felt socially disconnected. Iowa Medical Partners has been a wonderful source of camaraderie and activity. I love to read in my spare time so Book Club has been fun to coordinate. I also like to check out local restaurants and the Spouses Out Socializing events have been fun ways to explore the area.

Becky Anderson, Playgroup

Hey guys! I was born and raised in Wisconsin (Go Packers!) and love everything about the Midwest. My husband and I met in college at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (Go Eagles!) and moved to Minneapolis while he applied to medical school. While living in Minnesota I worked at a high school in the Special Education department supporting students in a variety of classes. We headed to Fort Lauderdale, FL for medical school and enjoyed sending our families pictures of relaxing by the pool in the middle of December. I worked at a preschool in the Infant/Toddler department as a Lead Teacher and yes, I had to submit lesson plans for 6 week old babies! When it came time to apply to residencies, though, we knew we wanted to head back to the Midwest to be closer to our families. We also missed the seasons (in Florida there is only Hot and Hotter), so Iowa seemed like a great fit for us! We couldn't be happier with our lives here in the Hawkeye State and it has proven to be a fantastic place to raise our 3 year old son because of the many wonderful family-friendly events in the area. My husband is a Neurology resident and we have loved the connections we have made in both his department and with Iowa Medical Partners. I truly enjoy organizing playgroup events for IMP and look forward to meeting more families who are on this crazy, seemingly never-ending journey too!

Marra Pienta, Philanthropy

0 Comments

Meet the IMP officers

8/6/2015

0 Comments

Leslee Sitton, Secretary

Hi my name is Leslee Sitton, I am a California girl who never thought I'd be living in the Midwest! Funny how this medical journey takes you so many great places you'd never expect. My husband, Sean and I met during undergrad at Brigham Young University. We've been married 9 years now and have 3 children: Summer 7, Knox 5 and Lacey 2. We completed medical school in Houston, Texas at Baylor College of Medicine before moving to Iowa City for an Orthopedic Surgery Residency. One year down and four more to go! I joined medical partners because I truly believe the best part of our training is the wonderful people we meet along the way. I love having a chance to get together when people in my same situation. When I am not busy keeping the family going, I love a good project, sewing, crafting, running and just about any summer time activity!

Nicole Van Tassell, Treasurer

I'm from Magna, Utah (go Utes!) My husband Mark is in 4th year Radiology. Doing a fellowship in Neuro Rad next year. We have four kids, three boys and a girl. We went to med school here so we have pretty much settled in for the long haul. We love Iowa city. I used to teach 3rd and 4th grades and was a reading specialist. I stay at home with my crew and love painting things! Especially furniture I find on the side of the road. And I like seeing, cooking, and decorating. Excited to come to more stuff this year with 4 kids in school all day.

Erin Gullickson, Web Editor

My name is Erin and I am the web editor for IMP. My husband, Ryan, went to medical school at the University of Iowa and is now a fifth year general surgery resident. I like being involved in Medical Partners because it is great way to connect with other resident partners and families. It provides good social opportunities for residents, partners, and kids, and being involved in the group is a fun way to both share and receive support during the somewhat challenging residency years. There are lots of opportunities for commiserating! Two things I love about Iowa - 1. The beautiful summers (if it is hot, get on a bike and ride through the trails) and 2. The arts presence. Go to a concert at the Englert in Iowa City, and visit Legion Arts in Cedar Rapids!

0 Comments

Meet the IMP Officers

8/3/2015

0 Comments

Ali Holt, President

Ali lives in North Liberty with her husband Josh, and two little boys Boston (5) and Nixon (2). They will soon be adding a 3rd sweet boy to their family in late October/early November. She is currently a stay at home mama but graduated with a degree in Dental Hygiene. She was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, and was one of four girls. She met her husband Josh in college and they have been happily married for almost 8 years. She followed him to North Carolina for his medical school training and fell in love with the East Coast. She never thought in a million years she would one day live in Iowa, but hasn't looked back since stepping into the beautiful Midwest. She devotes the majority of her time to her kids but enjoys supporting and welcoming new people to the area with involvement as President of Iowa Medical Partners. She thrives on keeping busy which means sometimes life is chaotic, but for her, chaos is her happy place! She thrives on a full calendar and loves to make the most of each day with her boys.

Ashley Breinholt, Vice President

Ashley is an Iowa transplant from Arizona. She is a stay at home mom to 4 cute kiddos, Rilyn (8), Casen (5), Brigg and Brooks (2). She is an Arizona State University graduate but has traded in her Sparky gear to cheer for Herky! Ashley and her husband Cody have been married for 10 years and love the adventure that life has been. Cody went to medical school at LECOM in Pennsylvania and is currently in his 3rd year of an Anesthesia residency. Ashley is a full time wife and Mom and part time blogger as well as the Vice President of Medical Partners and the soon to be owner of a mommy fitness group, Stroller Strides North Liberty. Life is busy and crazy but it couldn't be better. Ashley loves Medical Partners and the support and friendships she gets from it. It is so great to have such a wonderful community to be a part of. In her spare time, Ashley loves running and working out and decorating (or redecorating - shh, don't tell Cody) the house.

0 Comments

Rachel Miller, Playgroup

Whitney Lenci, Philanthropy

Marta, Entertainment Club

Tori, Children's Activites

Kathleen Linz, Children's Activities

Jess Hicks, SOS

Emily Heredia, Book Club

Becky Anderson, Playgroup

Marra Pienta, Philanthropy

Leslee Sitton, Secretary

Nicole Van Tassell, Treasurer

Erin Gullickson, Web Editor

Ali Holt, President

Ashley Breinholt, Vice President

Archives

Categories